Miscellaneous Musings

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

It was 43 degrees on the observed New Year's Day in Michigan and the Grand Haven EarthCam showed people walking on the beach. We hadn't been there since summer so took a drive out to enjoy the weather and a walk. The famous pier was closed in September for repairs and the iconic catwalk had been removed to save it for return after the pier repairs. The pier has an entirely new look.

The walk towards the pier was treacherous, covered with a combination of sand and ice.

There had obviously been some serious weather events out here.

The pier out to the lighthouse was fenced off but people were stepping down to

the ledge, around the fence, to make their way out to the end.

Not even the life preservers were left on the pier so it was

proceeding at your own risk. And they did.

We made our way down to the beach and appreciated walking in the sand in January.

Some interesting sand formations had formed, and fell, and summer detritus was revealed.

This log had floated in from somewhere.

Many people were enjoying this day at the beach.

And it was a beautiful day.

We'll see you again soon, Grand Haven, and maybe we'll get to walk on water again.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

So I knew the Soyuz would be reaching the Space Station tonight and happily I would still be up for the event. I have an app on my phone (ISS onLive) that shows me the station's location at any moment and also displays what the station is seeing (when they're not on the night side obviously). So I decided to follow my phone app along with NASA TV and watch this amazing event that so many people take for granted. This is the series of pictures that I took which show what the station sees, when the station spotted the Soyuz, and when the Soyuz spotted the station. You can see the location progress of the station on the phone app.

Monday, June 20, 2016

This eight something acre site used to hold a ramshackle home about half way back between Grand River and Fulton. When the house went up for sale, we checked it out and though it was advertised as vacant, there was obviously someone living there, hobo style. Due to the wetlands and Carl Creek running throughout the property, it eventually was purchased by Ada Township to be preserved as a wetland area (2011). But no real access was provided until 2015 when the township had footpaths and bridges put in. Now you can walk from Grand River to Fulton, with multiple paths all circling back upon each other.

I walked onto the property a few times back in July 2015 to see what was happening, and here are some of those photos:

And a few weeks later,

By the fall it was walkable but this was my first time there in 2016. Mosquitoes were a little thick but as long as one kept moving it was ok. Obviously no motorized vehicles are allowed.

Plant life is lush and poison ivy is rampant, mixed in with Dicentra and Trillium, and more.

This is Dame's Rocket, the 4 petal invasive species frequently confused with Wild Phlox (5 petals).

Fallen blossoms

The farthest path leads one to a view of Fulton Street and some apartments/condos that are probably none to thrilled with this development. And then it circles back. After a few other circuitous routes, I headed back to the entrance.

Immediately it became apparent that rain was headed this way so after a few photos and a picked-up pace, I headed home, just in front of the rain.

Happy Summer Solstice and Full Moon today, not happening again on the same day for sometime.